Adjustable trimmer bar for boring type mining machine



1957 E. L. ANDERSON 2,808,251

ADJUSTABLE TRIMMER BAR FOR BORING TYPE MINING MACHINE Filed Aug. 1, 19 56 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Edward L. Anderson BY 4 2 I ATTORNEY Oct. 1, 1957 E. L. ANDERSON 2,808,251

ADJUSTABLE TRIMMER BAR FOR BORING TYPE MINING MACHINE Filed Aug. 1, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Edward L. Anderson BY ATTORNEY Fig. 2

Oct. 1, 1957 E. 1.. ANDERSON 2,808,251

ADJUSTABLE TRIMMER BAR FOR BORING TYPE MINING MACHINE Filed Aug. 1, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 T IL! IN V EN TOR.

gdward L. Anderson ATTORNEY United States Patent ADJUSTABLE TRIMMERBAR: FORfBORING lVHNING MACI-HNE Edward L. Anderson, Chicago, 111., assignor to-Goodman Man f t ng o p nyrCm a ml aa co p r t n f illli oi Application August 1,- '1'956, Serial No. 601,568

.2 ,Claims. (Cl. .2 6Z..7)

E lis-invention relates to improvements in Inachines of the boring typeywherein two ormore'boring heads are rotatable on parallel spaced axes to cut contiguous -;overlapping-bor es ,in advancepf the machine, and auxiliarychaincarrying cutter bars are disposeddmrnediate y -heh nd h b ring heaidsto c ofii he cu ps at r and-roof levels between the bores, ;so;as to cut -a;generally e tangula ib In machines of the type above referred to itlhasgusually been the practice .to provide means fortadjusting the cutter ;bars vertically relative torthe machine frame and the boring head to-,vary;the :height of the bore pattern, -this adjustment being effected by a pair of hydraulic meters of :thecylinder and piston type mounted on :the nia hine ram ran cenne te et h ,opp si e dspf each of the cutter bars. The vertical movement ofithecutter bars has been limited simply by the pistons coming to the ends of their cylinders. I

In some instances it has alsobeen the practice to mount the hydraulic cylinders on the frame by a series of vertical-ly disposed bolts -and-bolt holes 'arranged so -that'the cylinders can be adjusted -vertically with respect to the frame, but still limiting the extension of the piston rods in -'the cylinders to the -fullstrokevof-said piston rods.

The principal object of the present invention is to pro vide an auxiliary means for limiting the extension of the cutter bar relative to the frame independently of the length of stroke of the pistons in the cylinders.

A further object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary stop means of the character above-mentioned capable of varying the amount of extension of the cutter bar in relatively minute increments.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary stop means consisting of a pair of lengths of chain wherein one or more detachable links of the chains can be removed or inserted so as to afford variations in vertical extension of the cutter bar in relatively large increments equal to the length of a chain link.

Another object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary stop means consisting of flexible lengths of chain or the like which may extend vertically toward a generally horizontal surface of the frame and may thence pass over direction changing devices so that the ends of the chain may be readily accessible for adjustment adjacent an outer edge of the horizontal face of the frame.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from time to time as the following description proceeds.

The invention may best be understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side view of a mining machine of the type to which the present invention is particularly applicable;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectiontaken generally on line 22 of Figure 1, but with parts omitted to show details of the extension limiting means for the upper and lower cutter bars;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on l 2,808,251 Ce Fatented rQ tv1957 V 5:2 li 3?;3 :gf Eigure ,2 showing details of one of the upper flexible zextension 'lirniting. chains;

=Fi gurea 4 1 is aviewtisimilarrto that ,shown linhFigure 3, but with one of the chain links removed from the chain; and

Figure-5- is a:detaiLsection taken-online 5 Q 2 showing detailsgofqoneaofathe tlowerflexible-limiting chains, :together with the directionrchanging meansrassociated h r w h- Referring: now to detailsofrthe embodiment of the invention illustrated in therdrawings, Figure 1 :shows a mining machineof the type vra aupted to produce apair .of overlappin g-rcontiguous ,boresrin a seam ofncoal or the dike, and includes arna-inframe -21 mounted on crawler treads for propelling ,the machineralongrthe mine floor. An-auxiliary frame ,23 isrmountedflon thefront -end .;of the mainrframe 21 and is arranged tobe raised .orlowered, .asusualnbyra pair of;=jacks 24, .24 on opposite sides 0f agear-casing '6. {Dire auxiliary frame 23 is also arrangedsotthat it maybe tilted forwardly or rearwardly by a pair of rearwardly inclined -iacks-27. The gear casing 2.6 has extending forwardly-therefrom a pairof laterally-spaced pQwerdriven-Shafts 2,8 which support a pair pf boriug :heads ;29 arranged 'to rotate in' timed relation to ea e-hr; other. Jhe general. arrangement of partsprevirQllsly :mentioned are r substantially as described in -Patent -No.g2,755,154,, so needrnotrbe-rmore fully describedherein, excepting as to .-the features which form parts of the presentrinven ion.

The ,machine ;has anguppers cutter bar 30 and ,a lower cutter bar 31 mounted. ongthe auxiliary frame23 immedi- ;ate ly.. behindthe boring heads-29. {Ehese-upper andlower cutter bars Tare rdip0sed horiZQnta1ly,- and each have a cutter; Qh limliZ-guided .therealongsozas to remove the cuspsleft. between thecutter headsrat the roof and the sflQ rofrthe mine, as isiusual with machinesofthistype. The upper -,c utter bar 30 Xis rverticallyi adjustable relative to ;t h e;gear-ease 26 -ofauxiliary frame 23by-a hydraulic .eylinder 3,4 fixedto the gfront face-,of thegear-case 26 and having a piston rod 35 extendingvertically therefrom and connected to the upper cutter bar 30 adjacent the outer end thereof, as shown in Figure 2. The opposite end of the upper cutter 'bar 30 is provided with a duplicate hydraulic cylinder 34 and piston 35 operable in unison with the cylinder and piston shown in Figure 2 for extending or retracting the upper cutter bar 30 bodily relative to the frame 23. A chain sprocket 36 may be mounted, as usual, on downwardly inclined end portions 30a of the upper cutter bar 30 so as to serve as direction changing devices for the cutter chain 32 in the usual manner.

The lower cutter bar 31 is similarly arranged for vertical extension relative to the auxiliary frame 23 by means of a pair of hydraulic cylinders 37 and pistons 38. In the form shown herein, the ends of the lower cutter bar 31 extend laterally to a somewhat greater length than the upper cutter bar 30 and have direction changing chain sprockets 39 carried on arms 40 pivotally connected to the ends of the lower cutter bar so as to permit the sprockets 39 to be swung upwardly and inwardly at certain times to aid in withdrawing the mining machine from the working face in a manner well known in the art, so that further description of the sprockets 39 and pivoted arms 40 need not be made.

Referring now more particularly to the novel features of the present invention as applied to the upper cutter bar 30, a length of chain 45 has its lower end fixed to a pin 46 in a bracket 47 secured to the front face of the gear case 26 of auxiliary frame 23 below the outer end of said cutter bar 30. This chain is disposed in a generally vertical direction and has a screw shaft 47 connected to its upper end by pivot pin 48. The screw shaft passes MAN .4 7 x through a lug 49 fixed to the downwardly ofiset end por- 7 tion 30a of the cutter bar, as shown in Figure 2. A set of lock nuts 51, 52 are threaded on the upper end of the screw shaft 47 in abutting engagementwith the upper face of the lug 49 so as to permit adjustment of the elfective length of the chain 45, which limits the amount of vertical extension of the upper cutter bar relative to the frame 23.

The length of chain 45 is made up of a plurality of conventional chain links, at least one of which links is detachable and may be removed or added when it is desired to vary the efiective length of the chain 45. This difference in an effective length of the chain may be seen by reference to Figures 3 and 4. In the latter figure, one chain link has been removed so as to shorten the total length of the chain by the length of the link which has been removed. Accordingly, with the chain construction shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the amount to which the upper cutter bar can be extended vertically relative to the gear case 26 can be adjusted roughly by removing or adding one or more links to the chain, and a more precise adjustment can be afforded by changing the position of the lock nuts 51, 52 on the screw shafts 47.

The means for limiting the extensible movement of the lower cutter bar 31, as shown in Figures 2 and 5, is essentially the same as previously described in connection with the limiting means for the upper cutter bar, excepting that in this instance the chain 56 is connected to a lug 57 on the lower cutter bar 31 and extends upwardly beneath an overhanging underface 58 of the gear case 26. in order to facilitate the adjustment of the length of the chain 56, a direction changing device, herein consisting of a horizontally disposed pin 59, is mounted at opposite ends in a lug 60 depending from the underface of the gear case 26, and the chain 56 is trained over said pin 59 so that a generally horizontal component 56a of said chain extends along said underface and has a screw shaft 61 connected to its outer end passing through a lug 62, also depending from the underface of the gear case. The lug 62 is disposed closely adjacent the side edge of the gear case, however, in position to permit ready access to a set of lock nuts 63, 64 threaded on the outer ends of the screw shaft 61, when it is desired to adjust the effective length of the chain 56.

It will be further understood that the length of the chain 56 can also be varied by removing one or more detachable links therefrom in the same manner as previously described in connection with the chain associated with the upper cutter bar 30.

Although I have shown and described a certain embodiment of my invention it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a mining machine of the boring type having a mobile frame, a pair of laterally spaced boring heads rotatable on said frame for cutting contiguous bores in advance of the machine, a horizontally disposed chain carrying cutter bar on said frame rearwardly of and generally tangential to the circular paths of said boring heads for removing the cusps left between said heads and means including extensible fluid pressure motors for adjusting said cutter bar vertically relative to said boring heads, the improvement which comprises a flexible member having one end fixed to the frame for limiting the vertical adjustment of said cutter bar relative to said frame, the other end of said flexible member having a threaded extension, and the cutter bar having a lug through which said threaded member extends for endwise adjustment by a threaded nut.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the frame has a horizontally disposed face toward which said flexible member extends, and a direction changing element is mounted on said face about which the flexible member is passed, and the end of the flexible member is adjustably connected to the frame adjacent the outer edge of said horizontal face.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,373,226 Coates Apr. 10, 1945 2,402,505 Moore June 18, 1946 2,684,641 Warf July 27, 1954 2,715,527 Cartlidge et a1 Aug. 16, 1955 

